Fined US$800.00 for having 5 cartons of smokes at Bkk AirPort ?

[CapeThai]

Hi all TV members. I came into Bkk airport from Dubai yesterday and had 5 cartons of smokes with me and got caught. They fined me $800 US and confiscated it all !!

Is this right ? I'm not expecting them to let it slide BUT 800US$ is a bit of a steep fine for bringing in to much smokes ??

I signed a few forms and asked for a receipt of whigh I only got a yellow copy.

Any thoughts on if I was perhaps ripped off ?

[Seastallion]

Sounds very steep. It should be you pay the full duty and get to keep them.

[Bung]

There only 90 odd baht a pack here, why would you bother?

[guzzi850m2]

Wow that is a lot, about same as Singapore where it is 20S$ fine per packet, so 200S$ per carton.

In Singapore a pack of smokes are app 12S$ and here it's about 2$ so don't understand why it's so high fine here?

Bringing cigarettes in here in large no's are not too smart man and you should have checked before leaving your home country.

[fatfather]

Sounds very steep. It should be you pay the full duty and get to keep them.

You are only allowed to keep the cigarettes if you go through the red exit "something to declare". Why do you think that the attempt to cheat is honored by allowing you to keep your cigarettes? I once brought 400 cigarettes to Australia (only 50 are allowed) and went through the red exit. I had to pay 174Aussi$ import tax, not a fine.

Fatfather

[Crossy]

I believe the fine is something like 10 times the duty that would have been payable, but if you got a receipt for the whole value then there is no contest.

Alcohol and tobacco are easy targets for the customs chaps as the limits are closely defined, they don't seem interested in other potentially dutiable items.

[theoldgit]

When you say you were caught, I assume you mean exactly that, you were caught with them having failed to declare them, I suppose they put you into the category of a smuggler though I suspect as you got them in Dubai they were in open view.

My governments travel advice says "It is illegal to import more than 200 cigarettes per person into Thailand and this is enforced at customs at the airport on arrival; those who exceed the limit may be fined ten times the value of the items and face confiscation of the cigarettes".

I assume you knew you were breaking the law, still a bit harsh though, what was it 25,000 Baht, it certainly seems excessive?

An expensive lesson.

[Upnotover]

When you say you were caught, I assume you mean exactly that, you were caught with them having failed to declare them, I suppose they put you into the category of a smuggler though I suspect as you got them in Dubai they were in open view.

My governments travel advice says "It is illegal to import more than 200 cigarettes per person into Thailand and this is enforced at customs at the airport on arrival; those who exceed the limit may be fined ten times the value of the items and face confiscation of the cigarettes".

I assume you knew you were breaking the law, still a bit harsh though, what was it 25,000 Baht, it certainly seems excessive?

An expensive lesson.

Seems completely in line with the advice you have - OP was fined 500 baht/pack, therefore valuing each at 50 baht, seems cheap in fact.

[uptheos]

When you say you were caught, I assume you mean exactly that, you were caught with them having failed to declare them, I suppose they put you into the category of a smuggler though I suspect as you got them in Dubai they were in open view.

My governments travel advice says "It is illegal to import more than 200 cigarettes per person into Thailand and this is enforced at customs at the airport on arrival; those who exceed the limit may be fined ten times the value of the items and face confiscation of the cigarettes".

I assume you knew you were breaking the law, still a bit harsh though, what was it 25,000 Baht, it certainly seems excessive?

An expensive lesson.

Probably stuffed into the hand luggage, not declared and therefore classed as smuggling.

[kevc]

Sure I read a while back someone being fined 5,000 baht per carton.

[DLock]

A 5 second Google check could have saved you $800. You're welcome.

Exemptions of Customs duties for passengers’ belongings

- No more than 200 cigarettes or tobacco not exceeding 250 grams, or the total weight of both types not exceeding 250 grams. If the amount exceeds the allowance, please contact the Customs officers at the Red Channel

Punishments for those who avoid the declaration of prohibited/controlled items
- Prosecution, and/or confiscation if the Customs officers discover any dutiable goods
- Prosecution, and/or confiscation of the prohibited/controlled items which do not have a proper documentation with written authorization
- Most severe penalty : a fine amounting to 4 times the value of the goods plus duties and taxes and/or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.

[ThaidDown]

Total taxes on cigarettes are around 70% (or more) of the retail price. Taking the 90 Baht cited by Bung in post #3 then tax per pack would be around 63 baht

Fine of 10x = 630 baht/pack. Excess cartons over allowance = 4. So 40 packs x 630 baht = 25200 baht. (I'm not a smoker so the price/pack and total duty might be a bit off)

A fine of 800 USD seems to be about right.

Of course the op had the option to refuse the fine and be arrested, held until bail was posted, and appear in court at a later date. Still would not have been able to keep the ciggies though.

Edit..posted same time as DLock above.According to his post my 10x is wrong so if op went the court route fine would probably have been less.

Edited April 4, 2015 by ThaidDown

[Sandman77]

Ok we refound you the money, 800 of each member here send you 1 dollar!

But when we have problems , and get over taxed in the next dhl oversea delivery you must also help us ok?

I am the first send you 1 dollar, send me your paypal adress!

Who is next?

[lovetotravel]

I believe the fine is something like 10 times the duty that would have been payable, but if you got a receipt for the whole value then there is no contest.

Alcohol and tobacco are easy targets for the customs chaps as the limits are closely defined, they don't seem interested in other potentially dutiable items.

They are starting to look at other items now. My neighbor got stung for some 15,000B for a new purse he bought in London for his wife. It is LV, so he wanted to keep the nice bag it comes in. Instant giveaway, and large fine. He didn't declare it.

Maybe he should have tossed the nice packaging and just carried it on his arm as his own? 5555

[Smokin Joe]

Sounds very steep. It should be you pay the full duty and get to keep them.

You are only allowed to keep the cigarettes if you go through the red exit "something to declare". Why do you think that the attempt to cheat is honored by allowing you to keep your cigarettes? I once brought 400 cigarettes to Australia (only 50 are allowed) and went through the red exit. I had to pay 174Aussi$ import tax, not a fine.

Fatfather

I don't think you are allowed to do that in Thailand. I may be wrong and your experience in Oz makes it sound like that is allowed some places at least.

Has anyone taken alcohol or tobaco over the duty free limit through the "Declare Line" in Thailand recently ?

[Seastallion]

I take the smuggling points.

Point of order though.....he should have been allowed to keep 1 carton (200 ciggies), and not been fined on them.....yes?

[DLock]

I was carrying 2 bottles of champagne as I passed the immigration booth. I noticed a Thai "customs" guy eying the bag I was carrying but thought little of it.

I collected my bag and went through the green lane.

No sooner than I was through I was approached by the same guy and another guy and told to follow them.

I was taken to a small room near the exit point and asked to empty my bags. I told them to do it themselves, but they were just interested in the bag I had the champagne in.

They clearly thought that the 2 bottles of champagne I had (in boxes) was cigarettes and asked "cigarettes, cigarettes".

I told them in clear Thai that I don't smoke, have no cigarettes.

So, they are pretty aggressive when it comes to cigarettes, but my guess is that the guys outside were doing it for themselves and would probably just take them and sell them.

Only time in 20 years I have been stopped.

Edited April 4, 2015 by DLock

[Farma]

It's worth noting for those bringing in excess alcohol and tobacco that you also have a chance of being checked by the excise department officers. They have an area under the stairs after you clear customs and exit into the terminal near the metal fences where the hotel drivers wait. They are a different department to customs and can impose additional fees.

DLock, it sounds like you met the excise guys.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Farma

[h90]

Ok we refound you the money, 800 of each member here send you 1 dollar!

But when we have problems , and get over taxed in the next dhl oversea delivery you must also help us ok?

I am the first send you 1 dollar, send me your paypal adress!

Who is next?

I pay the 1 USD happily, because yesterday they sent me a DHL package which will arrive on Monday

[DLock]

It's worth noting for those bringing in excess alcohol and tobacco that you also have a chance of being checked by the excise department officers. They have an area under the stairs after you clear customs and exit into the terminal near the metal fences where the hotel drivers wait. They are a different department to customs and can impose additional fees.

DLock, it sounds like you met the excise guys.

Yep, that sounds exactly what it was.

I thought they were just Customs Guys looking to line their own pocket outside the immigration area.

They must have watched me walk all the way out. They could have stopped me at the green lane.

They were pretty sheepish when I told them in Thai what I thought of them and after a 12 hour flight, landing at 6.30am...I was none too happy.

...actually, the only reason I had the champagne was that my buddy bought it in Dubai for his wife's birthday, but they would not let him take it on board to Australia, so he gave it to me as I stopped in Thailand. I had put the sealed, see-through plastic bag into a larger paper-bag with my stuff, so it did look like boxes of cigarettes I guess.

[WitawatWatawit]

Ok we refound you the money, 800 of each member here send you 1 dollar!

But when we have problems , and get over taxed in the next dhl oversea delivery you must also help us ok?

I am the first send you 1 dollar, send me your paypal adress!

Who is next?

Shame on you Sandy, for encouraging smoking. Have a slap around the ears :). (Gawd, I'd love a smoke right now - next month it will be one year, sigh ............)

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Travel

[onemorechang]

sounds about right.

Mate of mine got 25000 baht fine for 6 and that was 7 years ago.

they don't cost much here to buy .

[NanLaew]

I take the smuggling points.

Point of order though.....he should have been allowed to keep 1 carton (200 ciggies), and not been fined on them.....yes?

No. The 1 carton that is the duty-free allowance was forfeited when the OP chose to use the Green channel and not declare anything, ie. ALL cartons were then classed as contraband and the personal allowance similarly forfeited.

[KhunBENQ]

As others wrote. Its not the first such story.

Surprising in a country where the law is handled quite lax.

My (not so serious) theory:

Checks (especially on westerners) are rare and so only few get caught.

So if they catch one, they have to compensate by excessive fines

[worgeordie]

Maybe its a message,give up smoking, you know it makes sense.

regards Worgeordie

[NanLaew]

It's because of another huge, state-owned entity called the Thai Tobacco Monopoly that probably owns as much land as the SRT.

"TTM is one of the most profitable state enterprises, returning substantial revenues to the state treasury. ....Though TTM has a domestic-market volume share of 79%, foreign tobacco products have a 75% share of the market’s value. TTM is aiming to improve the efficiency of its operations before tobacco import duties are eliminated under the ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement and the ASEAN Economic Community is formed in 2015."

Big old money grab while they can.

Edited April 4, 2015 by NanLaew

[tso310]

These sort of fines were certainly happening a couple or so years ago. There were plenty of posts about this. I seem to remember many tourists arriving from Europe getting fined heavily. Seemed to have been quiet of late.

[swampdonkey]

Sounds very steep. It should be you pay the full duty and get to keep them.

If you declare them and pay the duty you can keep them no problem.

Not attempting to avoid duty and then expecting to pay duty and keep them if caught

[NanLaew]

Sounds very steep. It should be you pay the full duty and get to keep them.

That option is ONLY available if you use the Red channel.